Improvement in machines for making flower-pots



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIGE.

'JOSEPH o. "BULLAED7 0E CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN MACHINES FOR MAKING FLOWER-POTS.

Speciticationforming part of Letters Patent No. 147,897, dated February 24, 1874 application led January 22, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH O. BULLARD, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pot-Machines 3 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, rcference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form party of this specitication.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for making flower-pots, consisting in the combination of a female mold and a ro tary corc-mold with a rotary top-mold, that is rota-ted by the friction between the upper side and the under side of the iiange on the coremold; also, inthe combination, with a rotary core-mold, of au elastic center punch, for the purpose of making the hole in the bottom of the flower-pots, as Will now be more fully shown and described.

On the drawing, Figure 1 represents a groundv plan of my invention. Fig. 2 represents `a sectional longitudinal elevation, and Fig. 3 represents an enlarged longitudinal section ot' the rotary core-mold and its frictional top-mold.

a represents the female mold, that is secured to a suitable support, b, as shown in Fig. 2. The support b is moved up and down in a vertical direction by means of the treadle-lever c, link d, crank c, rack f, and pinion g, or other well-known combination. The support b is made to slide in suitable guides on the standard h. The core-molde is secured to a vertical shaft, k, that is set in a rotary motion bylmeans of power applied to the pulley l. (Shown in. Fig. 2.) The shaft 7c is supported in the bearings m m', secured to the standard h. The core-mold i and its shaft 7c are moved up and down in a vertical direction by means of the lever a, hinged at p, and the connection o, hinged to the pinion g, or other wellknown devices. The core-mold t' is provided with an annular flange, q, covered on its under side with leather s, or suitable material. An annular ring, r, surrounds the core-mold z', and constitutes the top-mold, for the purpose of finishing off the top of the ower-pots. This top-mold 1" is loosely supported in a suitable stationary ring or bearing, t, secured to the standard h, as shown, by means of guide-pins 'a u, or their equivalents. The top-mold o" is provided, 011 its upper side, with a leather or other Asuitable frictional covering, c, for the purpose of increasing the friction between the under side of the ange q and the upper sidev of the top-mold r when they are brought in contact with each other. y, The object of the ring 1^, iiange g, and their frictional coverings is for the purpose of rotating the ring 1' by friction when the core-mold fi, which is rotating, is brought in contact with the upper side of the ring r, when the ring o" partakes of the rotary motion of the core-mold e', by which arrangement I am able to finish the top of the ower-pots a great deal better than could be donc with a stationary top-melder, as heretofore used.

The operation of my improved pot-machine is as follows The pulley l, shaft k, and core-mold i are set in a rotary mot-ion, as described, and a suitable quantity of clay is placed in the fe male mold a, as usual. TheA female mold a and the core-mold i are brought toward each other by means of the treadle c, link d, crank e, rack and pinion f g, connection o, and lever a, or their equivalents, as heretofore described, when the rotating mold i, in combination with the female mold a, forms the pot in the annular space between them. At the same time, as the female mold a is brought almost to its highest point, the flange q and its covering s come in contact with the covering 'u on the topmoldcr r, by which the said top-molder r is set in a rotary motion with the coremold i', and thus turns and iinishes oft' the top of the pot clean and even, without leaving a ragged edge, as heretofore has been the case where a-stationary top-molder has been used.

w represents the ordinary rest in the mold a., by which the pot that is made in the mold is raised upward as soon as ready.

I am aware that a patent was granted to William Linton, dated February 12, 1861, and numbered 31,394, in Which'a yielding, but not rotary, topmold is used, in combination with a rotary core-mold.

My elastic center punch Fig. 3, for the purpose of making the hole in the bottom'of the pot is constructed'as follows: I make a i suitable recess in the center of the rotary coremold i, as shown, in which is placed a coiled spring, 1 or its equivalent, resting against the bottom of the said recess, and against the head of the punch x. The punch x is movable up and down in a sleeve, z, that is fastened to the stuffing box z by means of a screwthread or similar means. The space between the lower part of the sleeve z and the boX z is to be illed With suitable packing, for the purpose of preventing the clay from Workin g up in the recess behind the punch x, thus iusuring a free action of the spring y. The hole in the bottom of the pot is made by the punch a: coming in contact With the rest or false bottom w in the female mold a, by which, and the yielding movement of the elastic punch w, a clean and proper hole is made through the bottom of the pot. p Having thus fully described the nature, ce1.-

struction, and operation ,of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim- 1. In combination With a rotary and Ltraversing core-mold, z', and the female mold a, the rotary top mold r and the frictional surfaces s c, as and for the purpose hereinI set forth and described.

2. In combination With the rotary core-mold ll', the elastic punch spring 1 stung-box z z, and its packing, as herein shown, and for the purpose set forth.

Iii-testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January, 1874. Y

JOSEPH O. BULLARD.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDRN, GEORGE E. PHELPs. 

